I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to aircraft control simulators and trainers, and particularly it simulates landing gear controls of retractable gear aircraft and trains a pilot by evaluating his response to common landing gear failure scenarios.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Before a pilot can operate an aircraft with retractable landing gear, he or she must receive flight training and a logbook endorsement from a certified flight instructor. On Aug. 4, 1997, the FAA separated the flight training requirements for high performance and retractable gear aircraft. Recently the FAA reversed its stance against flight simulators.
The primary disadvantage to pilot training in retractable landing gear aircraft is the safety risk involved in training in an unfamiliar aircraft. Landing with the gear up exposes the pilot, passengers and the aircraft to risk of harm.
A further disadvantage of prior retractable gear aircraft training methods is the expense incurred by such training. Retractable landing gear aircraft have high purchase, maintenance and insurance costs.
The present invention provides a retractable landing gear simulator and trainer which overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previous methods of training.
In brief, the apparatus of the present invention utilizes a control panel, comprised of switches and lights, which simulates the landing gear controls of a retractable gear aircraft and accepts pilot input. A logic circuit and program indicate landing gear status in xe2x80x9csimulatorxe2x80x9d mode, and randomly generate landing gear faults and evaluate pilot corrective input in xe2x80x9ctrainerxe2x80x9d mode.
The control panel contains a plurality of light and audio indicators to apprise the pilot or trainee of the following: the position of the left, right and nose landing gear; whether the gear is in transit; errors or delays in the pilot""s response and a xe2x80x9cgear unsafexe2x80x9d condition. The control panel also contains the following switches: a master switch to turn the unit on or off; a gear selector switch to simulate moving the landing gear up or down; an emergency landing gear extension switch and two circuit breakers, one for lights and one for the landing gear pump.
The control panel and the control panel circuit comprise the switch box. The circuit itself is a straightforward logic circuit based on a program which allows it to simulate landing gear operation, randomly generate simulated landing gear errors and evaluate whether the pilot has made the correct response to that error.
The program itself consists of a series of discrete routines for operation of the device in xe2x80x9csimulatorxe2x80x9d mode and in xe2x80x9ctrainerxe2x80x9d mode. When in xe2x80x9ctrainerxe2x80x9d mode, however, the device randomly subjects the pilot to eight different tests based on the routines in the program.
When the device presents the pilot with one of the tests in the program, the pilot must react within a programmed time limit by using the controls of the device. If the pilot does not react within the specified time or inputs the incorrect response, the device will indicate an error by sounding an error tone and illuminating the red error light.
The device also has the capability to accept input from certain flight controls, namely the aircraft tachometer or magneto switch and flaps position indicator or flap lever. These inputs add realism to the simulation by triggering the device to output a xe2x80x9cgear unsafexe2x80x9d warning when the power is reduced or the flaps are lowered.